Friday 20 July 2012

Church - Just shut up and get on with the job!

Why (I hear you all cry)?

The reason is simple. A couple of days back I wrote these most innocent words:

"Lower clergy numbers can mean a stronger and enabled and released laity and from this a flourishing Church."

OK, I guess I could have finished the sentence with . . . "can be the result," but I didn't as I was rushing out to attend a gathering of mission-minded types (more about that later). But my grammar (or lack of it) wasn't the reason for the brickbat. What has caused the anger is that I think there can be anything positive about the reductions in stipendiary clergy.

So here we go:

The reality is that the days of having a stipendiary minister in the majority of our church buildings are coming to an end. The 'Parson in every parish' and even the parochial system as it has been since the first of the enclosure Act (and subsequent inclosure Acts) came to be are surely soon to be something from days gone by.

What we have before us is a situation whereby congregations (AKA 'churches') will find themselves with a Non-Stipendiary Minister (also known as a SSM - Self Supporting Minister) or an Ordained Local Minister (OLM) in the ministerial role. Alongside them will be a stipendiary, that is paid, full-time, minister who will support, pastor and guide that church and a few others (in what we will call 'clusters').

This model will mean that the members of the church will need to become mobilised and motivated (and trained, equipped and released) to do many of the roles that hitherto have been, generally, left to the 'paid' help. The gifts of the Spirit that serve the whole (rather than exalt the individual) will need to be in evidence in those who call themselves 'Church'. The desire, and ability, to take the Gospel out of the church doors and into the streets, homes, schools, workplaces and places of leisure and relaxation will need to be made an everyday reality for every member.

Yes indeedy people, this is the century where the Church returns to its roots and we see 'all-member ministry' become 'ALL MEMBER ministry!'. An exciting prospect and one that is perhaps just a little scary because:

1. Those who are stipendiary will have to become effective evangelists, teachers, pastors and spirit-led.

2. Those who are non-stipendiary will need to become well-rounded shepherds of the flock they are charged to pastor. They will need to be more than adequate teachers and caring pastors who are not only Spirit-led but can lead others into that reality AND be willing, able and desirous of the evangelistic role. The local church will need to be effective in evangelism and community involvement and will need to become the prayer houses that Church has always supposed to have been.

3. The members will need to become 'MEMBERS'! A bunch of enthusiastic, prayer-filled, Spirit-led and equipped, motivated and mobilised people. The club is closing and in it's place we are opening drill halls (with a great line in bread and wine, a 'brothers arms' reality that looks like family and and a place to party together when the battle is done).

Yes it's going to be a potentially exciting and enlivening time. 'Church' will mean what it should - the corporate (corporeal?) Body of Christ being 'militant here on earth'.

Simples

Exciting

Blinking Hard Work

Amazing times of triumph and telling of stories in the bar afterwards.

Medal ceremony for those who have been in when we are 'needing them not just feeding them' will take place just after our Commanding Officer arrives back ;-)

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